Treating liquid retaining assembly for outlet opening of applicator tank for treating textiles



May 26, 1970 J. w. PURDIE 73 TREATING LIQUID RETAINING ASSEMBLY FOR OUTLET OPENING OF APPLICATOR TANK FOR TREATING TEXTILES Filed June 11, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENIOR. J'oH/v W Pt/RD/E ATTORNEYS y 26, 1970 J. w. PURDIE 3, 1 ,6

TREATING LIQUID RETAINING ASSEMBLY FOR OUTLET OPENING OF APPLICATOR TANK FOR TREATING TEXTILES Filed June 11, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. Jomv W PUR'D/E BY fifwn/ ATTORNEYS J. W. PURDIE TREATING LIQUID RETAINING ASSEMBLY FOR OUTLET OPENING OF APPLICATOR TANK FOR TREATING TEXTILES Filed June 11, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3w wm mww Nam

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RNN R United States Patent 3,513,670 TREATING LIQUID RETAINING ASSEMBLY FOR OUTLET OPENING OF APPLICATOR TANK FOR TREATING TEXTILES John W. Purdie, Box 2138, Davidson, NC. 28036 Filed June 11, 1968, Ser. No. 736,160 Int. Cl. B05c 8/04, 11/115; D06f 19/00 US. Cl. 68-22 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An assembly for mounting below the outlet opening of the saturation tank of a textile sizing or other treatment liquid applicator where some continuous flow is desired and means are provided to control the rate of flow of liquid from the tank at the outlet opening, independently of that removed by textile material passed therethrough. The lower end of the saturation tank includes flat end walls connected by front and rear sidewalls, the latter being spaced apart and defining an elongated tank outlet opening. A pair of oppositely driven parallel retainer rolls having identical lengths substantially equal to the distance measured between the outer surfaces of the end walls is mounted below the outlet opening, at least one of the rolls being movable toward and away from the other and wherein means are connected with said one roll to place a preselected clamping pressure on textile material received in the bight between the rolls. A sealing plate is mounted at each end of the tank, each plate engaging one end face of both of the rolls in the region above and between the roll axes, and also engaging its associated tank end wall. A pair of squeegee bars is mounted on the tank sidewalls to extend downwardly and toward each other into tangential relation with their respective retainer rolls, the ends of said bars engaging said sealing plates. The sealing plates and the squeegee bars are made of polyurethane plastic because this material has been found to provide effective resistance to wear and effective sealing where the plates engage the oppositely rotating retainer rolls. The squeegee bars also resist wear, but do not engage the retaining rolls with sufficient pressure to form a seal therewith. Actually, the squeegee bars permit the treating liquid to flow from the saturation tank into a drain pan or tank at a controllable rate. The sealing plates and squeegee bars together with the generally confronting upper roll surfaces form an extension of the saturation tank.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates generally to apparatus for treating or sizing thread, yarn and the like comprising a shed and/or woven textiles, wherein the material to be treated is passed through a saturation tank containing liquid sizing, etc.

More particularly, the present invention is directed to a liquid retainer assembly for mounting at the outlet of the saturation tank, said assembly being designed to provide control over the escape-flow of liquid from the tank.

Description of the prior art The need frequently arises during the working of single-end and open-width textile materials to apply sizing or other treatment liquid thereto, and applicator machines for this purpose have been devised. One such machine utilizes a saturation tank having shed or textile entrance and an outlet at the upper and lower ends thereof, respectively, and a plurality of spaced rub bars mounted on the-confronting tank sidewalls to extend transversely of the path followed by the material passing through the tank from the entrance opening to the outlet.

The saturation tank is equipped with vibrators to vibrate the rub bars, and preferably a constant level of treating liquid is maintained therein. Textile material, i.e., yarns or fabrics, passes through the tank and engages the vibrating rub bars, whereby it is coated and/or saturated with sizing or other treating liquid. From the saturation tank the textile material passes to a pair of pressure or squeeze rolls, which serve to squeeze the textile sulficiently to achieve the desired amount of saturation or coating thereon.

For proper operation of the applying machine just described it is desirable that the level of liquid within the saturation tank be held substantially constant, and that escape of liquid downwardly through the tank outlet be continuous, but held to a practical minimum.

The present invention is directed to an assembly mounted below the saturation tank outlet opening, and which is designed to control the rate of escape-flow of liquid from the tank. By thus controlling escape-flow the maintenance of a constant liquid level within the tank is made easy and the quality of operation of the applicator is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The treating liquid retainer assembly of the invention is mounted below the saturation tank outlet opening, and in effect forms a continuation of the tank. The saturation tank is long and narrow in cross-section, and the lower end thereof includes a pair of flat, parallel end walls joined by sidewalls, the lower portions of the side and end walls defining an elongated outlet opening.

The retainer assembly includes a pair of power-driven, retainer rolls having identical lengths (about equal to the distance measured between the outer faces of the tank end walls), and flat end faces. The retainer rolls are mounted on the frame of the machine so that at least one roll can be moved toward the other, and means are provided for urging at least said one roll toward the other with a preselected pressure, whereby to engage and squeeze textile material received in the bight of the rolls, the bight being positioned below and in line with the saturation tank outlet.

A circular sealing plate is mounted at each end of the pair of rolls, the sealing plates being urged into engagement with their associated tank end walls, and with their associated roll end faces in the region above and between the roll axes. The circular sealing plates are preferably made of polyurethane plastic to form an effective seal with the rotating roll end faces.

The sealing plates, being in engagement with both the tank end walls and the retainer roll end faces, can be adjusted to effectively prevent excessive flow of treating or size liquid axially outwardly from the zone above and between the rolls. Excessive flow laterally out of said zone is prevented by a pair of squeegee bars, also made of polyurethane plastic. These bars are mounted on the lower ends of the tank sidewalls and extend downwardly and inwardly toward each other. The squeegee bars sealingly engage the plates at the opposite ends of the rolls, and tangentially engage the confronting upper surface of the rolls but only tightly enough to prevent excessive flow of liquid from the tank. In this connection, the squeegee bars can be adjusted to bear with the proper pressure against the upper surface of the rolls. Thus, the saturation tank rests on the main frame of the machine, and its elevation relative to the retainer rolls can be adjusted vertically by a plurality of adjustment bolts. Hence, the pressure with which the tank-mounted squeegee bars engage the rolls can be easily adjusted.

The Sealing plates and the squeegee bars cooperate with the upper, generally confronting roll surfaces to completely enclose the zone between the tank outlet opening and the bight between the rolls, whereby the assembly in effect constitutes an extension of the saturation tank. Thus, except for limited leakage between the rotating retainer rolls and the engaged surfaces of the sealing plates and the squeegee bars, treating liquid or sizing can otherwise only escape from the saturation tank with the textile material passing through the bight between the rolls. The volume of the latter escape-flow can be controlled by varying the pressure urging the retainer rolls toward each other. The assembly of the invention thus is effective to prevent undue depletion of the liquid within the tank and unwanted flooding of the pressure rolls and other portions of the applicator located beyond the saturator unit, while enabling a substantially constant head of liquid to be maintained in the tank.

The retainer rolls, by exerting pressure on the textile material in the presence of a reservoir of treating liquid or size, also help ensure a complete and even saturation and coating of the material.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an assembly for mounting below the saturation tank of a textile treating liquid or size applicator, designed to control the escape or leakage of the liquid from the tank and to help ensure adequate saturation and/or coating of textile material passing through the applicator.

A further object is to provide means for enclosing the region between a tank outlet and a pair of power driven rolls, whereby said region in effect forms an extension of the tank.

It is also an object to provide sealing plates constructed to be mounted to engage the end faces of a pair of revolving rolls and a stationary tank, and to effectively maintain the desired sealing contact with both said tank and said roll end faces.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will become apparent from the attached drawings, when taken together with the following Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of a textile size or treating liquid applicator incorporating the liquid retainer assembly of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, showing the lower portion of the saturation tank, the retainer assembly of the invention, and the pressure roll assembly mounted below the saturator unit;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the construction and mounting arrangement for the circular sealing plates at the opposite ends of the pair of liquid retainer rolls; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 3, showing in detail the arrangement of the squeegee bars of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, a machine for applying size or other treating liquid to textile materials is indicated generally at 2, and includes a supporting frame 4 on which is mounted a saturator unit 6. The frame 4 includes a base portion 8, comprising four upright angle irons each having a floor-engaging foot plate 12 welded thereto. The upper ends of the angle irons 10 at each end of the frame 4 are connected by transverse angle irons 14. A flat mounting plate 16 is welded to the inner vertical surfaces of the inwardly-directed flanges 18 of each end pair of the angle irons 10 just below the transverse angle irons 14.

A beam structure 20 extends longitudinally of the applicator 2 between the mounting plates 16, and comprises front and rear, confronting channel members 22 and 24 having attaching plates 26 welded across their opposite ends. The attaching plates 26 project laterally beyond the vertical webs of the channel members 22 and 24 and have holes herein for receiving bolts 28 that secure the plates 26 to the mounting plates 16 to complete the base frame portion 8.

Secured to the base portion 8 of the frame 4 is an upper frame portion 30, comprising four upright angle iron members 32 welded at their upper ends to a longi tudinally extending header assembly 34, FIG. 1. The header assembly 34 supports a draw roller 36 carried by bearings 38. The draw roller 36 is positioned above the saturator unit 6 and functions to feed textile material of either open-width or single-end form into the applicator 2. -A second, smaller roller 40 is mounted behind the draw roller 36, and is moved into engagement with the draw roller 36 by hydraulic jacks 42 mounted with their lower ends connected to brackets 44 welded to the upper frame portion 30.

A bracket 46 is welded to the base frame members 10 at the left side of the applicator 2 (as viewed in FIG. 1), and an electric motor and gear box unit 48 is mounted thereon. The unit 48 includes a power shaft 50 that projects toward the saturator unit 6, and carries a sprocket 52 connected by a drive chain 54 to a sprocket 56 mounted on a shaft 58 carrying the roller 36, whereby the unit 48 drives the draw roller 36.

The upright members 10 at the right-hand end of the frame portion 8 (as viewed in FIG. 1) have a support bracket 60 welded thereto adjacent their lower ends. The support bracket includes a pair of parallel horizontal angle irons 62 welded to project inwardly from the members 10 and connected at their projecting ends by a horizontal angle iron 64. A pair of vertical angle irons 66 are connected together at their lower ends by a horizontal angle iron 68. Thus, the angle irons 64, 66 and 68 lie in the same vertical plane, and form a rectangle.

A pair of diagonally extending angle irons 70, FIG. 2, is welded to the angle irons 64 and 68 to form a V- brace. A vertical post 72 having a foot plate 74 is welded to the angle irons 68 and 70. The top of the post 72 has a threaded bore to receive a height-adjusting bolt 75 disposed on the inward side of the horizontal member 64.

A supporting bracket 76 similar in construction to the bracket 60 is welded to the members 10 on the left-hand side of the applicator 2, as in FIG. 1. The bracket 76 includes inwardly projecting angle irons 78 and a vertical post 80 having a height adjustment bolt 82 thereon. The angle irons 78, unlike the angle irons 62, are welded to a horizontal angle iron 84 extending between the members 10, and are spaced sufiiciently close together to enable a pair of spaced bearings 86, for supporting the shafts 88 and 90 of a reversing gear unit 92, to be secured thereto. The inner ends of the angle irons 78 are connected by a horizontal angle iron 94, corresponding to the angle iron 64.

Welded between the webs of the channel members 22 and 24 of the beam structures 20 are mounting plates 96 and 98, the inner faces of said plates lying in the same vertical plane as the inner faces of the angle irons 64 and 94, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1. A thick supporting plate 100 is vertically disposed to rest on the height-adjusting bolt 75, and is secured to the angle iron 64 by bolts 102 and to the mounting plate 96 by bolts 104. An identical thick supporting plate 106 rests on the adjusting bolt 82, and is secured by bolts 108 to the angle iron 92 and by bolts 110 to the mounting plate 98, the supporting plates 100 and 106 being parallel to each other.

The supporting plates 100 and 106 have aligned circular holes therein, about which bearings 112 are secured, FIG. 1. The bearings 112 serve to mount a shaft 114 of a front pressure roll 116 made of steel. Spaced rearwardly from the bearings 112 in the same horizontal plane as said bearings the supporting plates 100 and 106 have aligned, elongated rectangular openings 122 therein, FIG. 2, within which are mounted horizontally slidable bearing units 124 for mounting the opposite ends of a shaft 126 of a rear pressure roll 128. The rear pressure roll 128 comprises a steel core 130 having a rubber coating 132 thereon, and is moved into pressure engagement with the front pressure roll 116 when desired by pneumatic jacks 13 4.

The pneumatic jacks 134 are mounted on the plates 100 and 106 behind the slidable *bearing units 124, and are connected to said units by shafts 136. The jacks 134 are activated remotely, and by varying the operating pressure thereof the pressure with which the rear roll 128 engages the front roll 116 can be adjusted to a desired value.

Suspended from the roll shafts 114 and 126 is a tank assembly 140, comprising a pair of end plates 142 each made up of a lower section 144 and an upper section 146. The end plates 142 are divided into two sections so that they can be assembled about the shafts 114 and 126, and are held in assembled relation by machine bolts 148. Seals 150 and 152 are mounted on the shafts 114 and 126, respectively, to seal the areas where said shafts pass through the end plates 142, and the mating portions of the sections 144 and 146 at the front of the machine in horizontal alignment with the shafts 114 and 126 carry bearing units for mounting an idler roll 154.

The lower plate sections 144 are generally semicircular, and a generally semi-cylindrical pan 156 is welded to the edges of said plates to extend therebetween. The rear edge 157 of the upper plate sections 146 extends vertically to about two-thirds the height of the roll rear roll 128, and a vertical plate 158 is welded between said edges. Above the plate 158 the rear edges of the plate section 146 taper inwardly at an angle, and the entire front edge 160 of the sections 146 tapers inwardly at a sharper angle. The upper plate sections 146 terminate in a horizontal top edge 162 having an elongated notch 164 therein, FIG. 4, the purpose for which will be described later.

The inner surface of each end plate 142 has a pair of clips 166 secured thereto, one above each of the rollers 116 and 128. A generally flat baflle plate 168 is mounted by the clips 166 located above the front pressure roll 116 to extend upwardly at an angle of about 45 from the bight region between the rolls 116 and 128, and a rear bafile plate 170 disposed on an angle of about 30 is similarly mounted above the rear pressure roll 128. Both of the inclined baflle plates 168 and 170 have downturned lips 172 and 174, respectively, on their lower ends, the lip 174 being several times the length of the lip 172. It should be noted that the posts 72 and 80 are positioned directly below the bight region between the pressure rolls 116 and 128, whereby the supporting plates 100 and 106 are generally balanced thereon.

The bottom of the tank 140 has an inclined drain well 176 formed therein, to extend the full length thereof. The end plate 142 at the deeper end of the drain well 176 is equipped with a drain pipe 177.

The saturator unit '6 sits on the beam structure above the tank 140 and the pressure rolls 116 and 128, and includes a saturation tank 180. The tank 180 includes a frame comprised of horizontal, fiat side bars 182 welded to similar end bars 184, the two lowermost side bars on each side of the tank having two pairs of' spaced, vertical bracket plates 186 welded therebetween. The bracket plates 186 of each pair have outwardly and downwardly facing ears 188 projecting therefrom, and a horizontal bar 190 is welded across each pair 'of said ears. The remaining side bars 182 have angle irons 192 welded vertically therebetween, to complete the tank frame.

The tank includes front and rear sheet metal walls 194 and 196, and end walls 198, all of which are welded to the inner edges of the tank frame. The bottom edge of the front wall 194 is bent back to form a flange 200, FIG. 2, that extends at an angle of about 30 to the horizontal. The bottom portion of the rear wall 196 is first bent inwardly to form an inclined surface 202 that extends at about 60 to the horizontal, and the lower edge of said wall is then bent back to form a flange 204 which, like the flange 200, extends at about a 30 angle to the horizontal. The end walls 198 terminate in a straight lower edge 206 that meets the inner edges of the flanges 200 and 204, whereby the inner edges of said flanges and the bottom edges 206 of the end walls define a rectangular outlet opening. The upper end of the tank 180 is open, to define an inlet opening for textile material passing over the draw roll 36.

The front Wall 194 of the tank 180 has a plurality of horizontally extending, spaced rub bars 208 of circular cross-section mounted thereon. The rub bars 208 are secured to vertically extending, spaced bars 210 fastened to the wall 194. A pipe 212 is passed through the lower ends of the bars 210 and the bars are welded thereto, whereby they are secured against shifting, and between each pair of the vertical bars 210 a water jacket 214 is secured to the wall 194.

A framework including vertically extending, spaced bars 216 having a horizontal bar 218 welded across the lower ends thereof is mounted on the rear tank wall 196 in such manner that it can be moved toward and away from the rub bars 208 (the mechanism for effecting such movement not being shown). Horizontally extending rub bars 220 are secured to the vertical bars 216, the rub bars 220 being spaced between the rub bars 208. Water jackets 222 are secured to the wall 196 between each pair of vertical bars 218, and vibrator units (not shown) are connected to vibrate the rear rub bars 220.

The tank 180 must be positioned in proper register over the presssure rolls 116 and 128, so that the tank outlet opening is directly above the bight region between the rolls. To accomplish this, bearing plates 224 are welded to the channels 22 and 24 beneath the bars 190, and each plate 224 has a solid dowel pin 226 welded thereto that is received through a hole in its associated bar to achieve proper register. The bars 190 also each have a threaded bore th'erethrough spaced from the dowelreceiving hole therein, within which a bolt 228 is received.

The lower ends of the bolts 228 rest on the bearing plates 224, and by turning the bolts the vertical height of the tank 180 above the pressure rolls 116 and 128 can be adjusted.

To utilize the applicator 2, the saturation tank 180 1 should be maintained at a constant level with liquid starch or other treating solution. Obviously, however, the presence of the outlet opening in the saturation tank 180 would make it possible for the liquid to drain therefrom into the drain tank or pan 140, which would result in rapid depletion of the liquid, unless provision is made to control the rate of escape. The only way in which a constant level can be maintained within the saturation tank 180 is to supply new liquid to the tank at the same rate as liquid is lost.

While replacement of large volumes of liquid in the tank 180 is feasible, it is not desirable to continuously move large quantities of liquid through the saturation tank 180. For one reason, rapid circulation resulting from such large volume movements makes it diflicult to maintain a stable liquid temperature in the saturation tank 180, which is desirable for quality control. Further, there is some inherent waste when the liquid flows freely into the drain pan 140, even if reuse is attempted, and such flow onto the pressure rollers 116 and 128 reduces their effectiveness and can affect quality. Thus, it is most desirable to limit the rate of liquid flow from the saturation tank 180 to a controllable minimum.

Obviously, the smaller the outlet opening in the saturation tank 180, the smaller will be the escape-flow from the tank. However, there is a practical limit as to how small the outlet can be, and even then substantial escapeflow can occur. There is need for an assembly that can limit escape-flow from the saturation tank 180 to an absolute minimum, and such an assembly is indicated at 250, FIG. 2.

The liquid-retaining assembly 250 is disposed beneath the outlet opening of the saturation tank 180, above the bafile plates 168 and 170 leading to the pressure rolls 116 and 128. The assembly 250 includes identical front and rear retainer rolls 252 and 254, each comprising a steel core 256 having a layer of rubber 258 thereon. The rolls 252 and 254 have flat end faces 260, FIG. 3, and have an overall length substantially equal to the distance between the outer faces of the tank end walls 198.

The retainer rolls 252 and 254 are mounted on shafts 262 and 264, respectively. The supporting plates 100 and 106 each have a pair of horizontally aligned, rectangular front and rear openings 266 and 268 therein, within which are slidably mounted front and rear bearing units 270 and 272, respectively. The front roll shaft 262 is received in the bearing units 270 and the rear roll shaft in the bearing units 272, whereby the retainer rolls 252 and 254 can be moved horizontally toward and away from each other.

The front bearing units 270 are normally fixed against sliding by a toggle lever mechanism 274, which can be easily released when desired. The rear bearing units 272 are connected to pneumatic actuators 276, one for each bearing unit, which are operable remotely to urge the rear roll 254 against the front roll 252 with whatever pressure is selected. The front roll 252 is driven by a chain 278, leading from the motor and gear box unit 48 to a sprocket wheel 280 mounted on the left end of the shaft 262. A conventional bevel gear and sliding spline shaft assembly 282 connects the right end of the shaft 262 to the shaft 264, whereby the retainer rolls 252 and 254 are driven oppositely at identical speeds. The sliding spline feature of the assembly 282 allows the rolls 252 and 254 to be moved horizontally with respect to each other, without interfering within the interlock between the shafts 262 and 264.

The opposite ends of the region defining the bight areas between the retainer rolls 252 and 254 and the outlet opening of the saturation tank 180 are closed by circular sealing plates 290. The sealing plates 290 are held in place against lateral shifting by circular rings 292 welded to the end walls 198 of the saturation tank 180, the rings 292 and the plates 290 having a sufiiciently large diameter and being positioned so that the entire lower edges 206 of the end walls 198 and the end faces 260 of the retainer rolls 252 and 254 in the region above and between the axes of said rolls are engaged by said sealing plates.

Each sealing plate 290 includes a flat disc core 294, to the rear face of which three pressure bars 295, 296 and 298 are welded. The bar 295 is disposed horizontally, and is centered above the lower edge 206 of the tank end wall 198. The bars 296 and 298 extend downwardly and inwardly from near the ends of the bar 295 generally tangentially to the retainer rOlls 252 and 254, and come together in the bight region between the rolls. Circular pressure pads 300 are welded on the pressure bar 295 near the opposite ends thereof, and a similar pressure pad 302 is welded on the bars 296 and 298 at their juncture. The notches 164 in the end plates 146 of the drain pan assembly 140 are provided to accommodate the ring 292 and the sealing plates 290.

Fitted on the front face 303 of the core disc 294 is a sealing disc 304 of shallow cup-shape having a peripheral flange 306 fitting tightly on and being coextensive with the rim 308 of the core disc 294. The front face 310 of the sealing disc 304 is flat, and is backed by the flat front face 303 of the core disc 294, the disc 294 having a small bore 312 therethrough to relieve any air trapped between the discs 294 and 304. Three bolts 314 are mounted on each of the supporting plates and 106 in alignment with the pressure pads 300 and 302, and when threaded inwardly to engage their associated pads 300 and 302 function to engage the front faces 310 of the sealing discs 304 with both the outer face of the tank end walls 198, and the end faces 260 of the retainer rolls 252 and 254, with the desired pressure to allow slight, controlled leakage.

Because the retainer rolls 252 and 254 are rotating when in use, and because they are also shifted laterally relative to each other, it is essential that the material of the sealing discs 304 provide an effective seal and be very durable under these conditions. It has been found that by making the sealing discs 304 of polyurethane plastic, a satisfactory and durable seal in the presence of the rotating roll end faces 260 can be maintained.

The sealing plates 290 thus effectively seal the axial ends of the region between the outlet of the tank and the retainer rolls 252 and 254 against excessive escape-flow. The area between the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls 252 and 254 and the saturation tank 180 is partially sealed by front and rear squeegee bar assemblies 320 and 322, respectively.

The construction of the rear squeegee bar assembly 322 is shown in detail in FIG. 4, and includes an outer clamp bar 324 having a tapered leading edge 325, a squeegee bar 326, and an inner clamp bar 328, all secured to the flange 204 by a plurality of bolts 330. The flange 204 has a plurality of horizontally spaced pairs of holes 332 therethrough, and the inner clamp bar 328 has a plurality of threaded bores 334 therein that are aligned with the holes 332. The outer clamp bar 324 has holes 336 therein for receiving the bolts 330, which holes are aligned with the holes 332 and the threaded bores 334.

The squeegee bar 326 is made from olyurethane plastic about 4 inch thick, and is rectangular in cross-section. The squeegee bar 326 has a length equal to the distance measured between the faces 310 of the sealing discs 304, and is provided with slot openings 338 for receiving the bolts 330. The squeegee bar 326 has a width about twice that of the outer clamp bar 324, and the rear edge of the latter is disposed in generally the same plane as the rear edge of the squeegee bar; the slot openings 338 allow for some adjustment of the position of the squeegee bar 326 relative to the clamp bar 324.

The squeegee bar assembly 320 is constructed similarly to the assembly 322, and includes outer and inner clamp bars 340 and 342, and a squeegee bar 344, all secured to the flange 200 by bolts 346. The squeegee bars 326 and 344 extend inwardly and downwardly, and the leading edges thereof tangentially engage the cylindrical surfaces of the retainer rolls 254 and 252, respectively, for the full length of the rolls. The ends of the squeegee bars 326 and 344 are engaged by the sealing discs 304, and this engagement coupled with the tangential engagement of said squeegee bars with the retainer rolls 252 and 254 results in complete enclosure of the region defining the bight between the retainer rolls and the outlet opening of the tank 180, whereby said region in effect becomes an extension of the saturation tank.

There are four basic areas from which liquid can controllably escape the enclosed region: (1) through the bight between the retainer rolls 252 and 254, (2) past the engaged surfaces between the roll end faces 260 and the sealing discs 304, 3) past the engaged surfaces of the ends of the squeegee bars 326 and 340 and the sealing discs 304, and (4) past the engaged linear surfaces of the squeegee bars 326 and 340 and the retainer rolls 252 and 254. Possible leakage path (1) is controlled by the pressure with which the retainer rolls 252 and 254 are urged into engagement, and by the nature of the textile material being treated. Paths (2) and (3) are controlled largely by the flatness of the mating surfaces, and the pressure exerted by the bolts 314. The fourth leakage path is controlled by adjusting the bolts 228, to raise or lower the saturation tank 180 relative to the retainer rolls 252 and 254.

By lowering the saturation tank 180, the pressure with -which the squeegee bars 326 and 344 tangentially engage the surfaces of the retainer rolls 252 and 254 can be increased. In this connection, the adjustment is such that a small, controlled, amount of treating liquid can continuously escape from the tank 180 by flow under the squeegee bars 324 and 326 to the lower tank 140. 'It should be noted that the pressure pads 300 and 302 have substantially larger diameters than the bolts 314 in engagement therewith, whereby vertical movement of the saturation tank 180 can be accommodated without affecting the clamping effect of the bolts 314.

The pressure rolls 116 and 128 are driven by a chain 360, extending between a sprocket 362 on the shaft 114, and a sprocket 364 on the output shaft 88 of the unit 92. The unit 92 is driven by belts 366 from a transfer shaft 368 mounted below the motor and gear box unit 48, the shaft 368 being connected to the unit 48. The speeds of all the rolls 36, 252, 254, 116 and 128 are balanced so that the -material T will be drawn evenly through the machine.

. The retainer rolls 252 and 254 allow the saturated material T to pass to the pressure rolls 116 and 128, but hold the leakage of liquidto a minimum. Further, by exerting pressure on the treated material T in the presence of treating liquid contained in the reservoir region above the retainer rolls 252 and 254, said rolls serve to ensure even and adequate coating of the material.

To operate the treating liquid applicator 2, the retainer rolls 252 and 254 are placed in tight engagement and the saturation tank 180 is filled to the desired level with treating liquid. Temperature control over the treating liquid is obtained by circulating a heating medium through the jackets 214 and 232. The material T to be treated is threaded over the draw roll 36, past the rub bars 208 and220, through the bight between the retainer rolls 252 and 254, through the bight between the pressure rolls 116 and 128, and over the idle roller 154, The pneumatic jacks 276 and 134 are set to the desired pressure, the'rub bars 220 are adjusted and vibrated and the machine is then placed in operation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. Accordingly, it is understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically shown and described.

I claim: 1. A liquid retainer assembly for mounting at the outlet of a tank adapted to contain treating liquid and having an entrance at its upper end for textile material to be treated, said tank having a-pair of sidewalls connected by a pair of relatively narrow end walls, said outlet opening being defined generally by the lower end portions of said side and end walls, said assembly comprising: a pair of retainer rolls mounted in parallel rela tion with said sidewalls; a pair of squeegee bars; means on each of said sidewalls adjacent said outlet opening mounting one of said squeegee bars thereon, each squeegee bar extending into engagement with the cylindrical surface of one of said retainer rolls; and means for effecting a seal with the ends of said retainer rolls, and between said squeegee bars and said retainer rolls, and being adjustable to allow escape-flow of liquid from said tank at the ends of said retainer rolls and between said squeegee bars and said retainer rol s at a controlled rate.

2. A liquid retainer assembly for mounting at the outlet of a tank adapted to contain treating liquid and having an entrance at its upper end for textile material to be treated, said tank having a pair of sidewalls connected by a pair of relatively narrow end walls, said outlet opening being defined generally by the lower end portions of said side and end walls, said assembly comprising: a pair of retainer rolls mounted in parallel relation with said sidewalls, said retainer rolls having a length equal to the distance between the other faces of said end walls, and having a flat end face on each end thereof; and a pair of sealing plates, one of said sealing plates being mounted at the outer face of an end wall and at each end of said pair of retainer rolls, and engaging both the associated end wall and the associated end face of said pair of retainer rolls in the region above and between the axes of said retainer rolls.

3. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 2, including a pair of squeegee bars, each having a length equal to the distance between the confronting faces of said sealing plates; and means on each of said sidewalls adjacent said outlet opening mounting one of said squeegee bars thereon, each squeegee bar extending into engagement with the cylindrical surface of one of said re tainer rolls.

4. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 3, in cluding means for adjusting the sealing discs and squeegee bars to permit escape-flow of liquid from the tank at a controlled rate.

5. Apparatus for applying liquid size or other treating liquid to textile materials and wherein a continuous flow of treating liquid from the tank is desired, including a saturation tank for the treating liquid, said tank having sidewalls and relatively narrow end walls and having an entrance opening at the upper end thereof for receiving the textile material, closure means for the lower end of said tank, comprising: a pair of retainer rolls extending parallel with the sidewalls of said tank and for the full length of said tank; adjustable sealing means at the ends of said retainer rolls arranged to allow the treating liquid to escape from said tank at the ends of said retainer rolls at a controlled rate; and a squeegee bar extending inwardly and downwardly from the lower end of each of said sidewalls and extending for the full length of said retainer rolls and engaging the upper surface of one of said retainer rolls; and means for adjusting the pressure of said squeegee bars against said retainer rolls to allow escape of treating liquid along the length of said rolls at a controlled rate.

6. A liquid retainer assembly for mounting below the outlet opening of a tank, said tank including a pair of sidewalls connected by a pair of relatively narrow end walls, said outlet opening being defined generally by the lower end portions of said side and end walls, said assembly comprising: a pair of retainer rolls mounted below said tank outlet opening in parallel relation with said sidewalls; said retainer rolls having a length equal to the distance between the outer faces of said end walls and having a fiat end face on each end thereof; a pair of sealing plates, one of said sealing plates being mounted at the outer face of each end wall and at each end of said pair of retainer rolls, and engaging both the associated end wall and the associated end faces of said pair of retainer rolls in the region above and between the axes of said retainer rolls; means urging said sealing plates into engagement with said retainer roll end faces and said end walls; a pair of squeegee bars, each having a length equal to the distance between the confronting surfaces of said sealing plates; and means on each of said sidewalls adjacent said outlet opening, mounting one of said squeegee bars thereon, each squeegee bar extending into engagement with the cylindrical surface of one of said retainer rolls.

7. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein each of said tank end walls has a ring secured thereon for receiving and holding one of said sealing plates.

8. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 6, 'wherein each of said sealing plates comprises: a core disc; a sealing disc fitted over the inner face of said core disc; a plurality of pressure bars secured to the outer face of said core disc; and a plurality of spaced pressure pads 1 1 attached to said pressure bars, said means for urging said sealing plates into engagement with the retainer roll end faces being in contact with said pressure pads.

9. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the sealing discs and squeegee bars are made of polyurethane plastic.

10. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the squeegee bars are mounted to extend inwardly and downwardly at an angle toward each other, and wherein the undersurfaces thereof substantially tangentially engage the upper surface of the retainer rolls.

11. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 10, including means for adjusting the tank vertically relative to the retainer rolls so that the pressure with which said squeegee bars engage said retainer rollers can be varied.

12. A liquid retainer assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the retainer rolls is movable horizontally toward and away from the other, and wherein means is provided for urging said one retainer roll toward the other roll with preselected pressure.

13. Apparatus for applying liquid size or other treating liquid to textile material, comprising: a saturator unit including a saturation tank for receiving the treating liquid and through which textile material to be treated is moved, said tank having inlet and outlet openings in the upper and lower ends thereof, respectively; a pair of parallel pressure rolls mounted below said saturation tank outlet opening, and operable to squeeze textile material received therebetween; a pair of parallel retainer rolls mounted below said tank outlet opening and above said pair of pressure rolls, and adapted to receive and engage textile material issuing from said outlet opening; and means between said retainer rolls and said saturation tank enclosing the bight region between the retainer rolls and said saturation tank outlet opening, whereby said enclosed region is in effect an extension of said saturation tank.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one of said parallel retainer rolls is mounted for movement toward and away from the other of said rolls, and wherein means is provided for moving said one roll toward the other roll to exert a preselected pressure on textile material while passing between said rolls.

15. Apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the lower end of said saturation tank is generally rectangular and includes a pair of sidewalls connected by a pair of end walls, and wherein said retainer rolls have fiat end faces and are of a length substantially equal to the distance between the outer faces of said tank end walls, said means enclosing the region between said retainer rolls and said tank outlet opening including: a sealing plate at each end of said pair of retainer rolls, said sealing plates engaging the flat end faces of said retainer rolls in the region above and between the axes of said rolls, and also engaging the end walls of said tank over at least the width of said outlet opening; means urging said sealing plates into engagement with said retainer roll end faces and said tank end walls; a pair of squeegee bars each having a length substantially equal to the distance between said sealing plates; and means on said tank sidewalls adjacent the sides edges of said outlet opening mounting said squeegee bars to extend inwardly and downwardly into engagement with said retainer rolls, and so that the opposite ends of said squeegee bars are engaged by said sealing plates, whereby said squeegee bars, said sealing plates and the upper, generally confronting surfaces of said retainer rolls form a continuation of and closure for said saturation tank.

16. Apparatus for applying liquid size or other treating liquid to textile material, comprising: main frame; a saturation tank for receiving treating liquid, supported on said main frame, said tank comprising narrow end walls and relatively wide sidewalls and being open at its upper end to receive the textile material to be treated; means forming a liquid retaining closure for the lower end of said tank including a pair of retainer rolls disposed parallel with and adjacent to the lower end of said sidewalls; means rotatably mounting said retainer rolls on said main frame, said retainer rolls having fiat end faces; sealing means at said end walls engaging the fiat end faces of said retainer rolls; means for adjusting said sealing means to allow a controlled rate of escape of liquid from said tank at the ends of said retainer rolls; a squeegee bar mounted on each of said sidewalls and extending into engagement with one of said retainer rolls; and means for adjusting said saturation tank vertically relative to said main frame for adjusting the pressure of said squeegee bars against said retainer rolls to allow a controlled rate of escape of liquid from said tank along said retainer rolls.

'17. Apparatus as recited in claim 16, including a pair of pressure rolls rotatably mounted on said main frame below said retainer rolls for receiving the textile material after it leaves said retainer rolls; a liquid drain pan disposed below said pressure rolls; and a pair of baflie plates disposed between said retainer rolls and said pressure rolls, said baffle plates extending downwardly and inwardly toward each other for directing the escaping liquid from said saturation tank toward the bight of said pressure rolls and for ultimate collection in said drain pan.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,784,583 3/1957 Dungler 68-22 X 2,918,067 12/1959 Brown a a1 68-22 X 3,046,773 7/1962 Healy ,68--5 x 3,367,151 2/1968 Fujihashi 68--5 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 683, 43, 208 

